The Causes of Dizziness are Many

November 12, 2012

The word dizziness has many different definitions and of course used differently by different people which makes getting a grip on it difficult. Nevertheless, the causes of dizziness are generally well defined. Some of the causes of dizziness are rare and yet others are quite common. Some forms of dizziness may be minor and nothing to worry about while others may be serious enough to be life-threatening. If you you experience dizziness for some period of time and don’t know why you have this, you need to contact you healthcare provider as soon as possible to get a proper diagnosis and treatment. This should not be ignored as it could have serious repercussions down the road.

In order to keep your balance, you brain receives information from various parts of your body. This information is then processed and helps to keep you upright in a gravity situation. Sensory information is received from your eyes that keep your brain informed about what position your in and whether you are moving relative to what you are standing on. Information is received from your muscles and joints that tells your brain about the positions of your body parts relative to each other. Your inner ear contains the vestibular apparatus which contains fluid filled canals that tell your brain about your head position and movements in three dimensions even when your eyes are closed. All of the sensory systems are integrated together to keep you stable in gravity relative to the surface you are on. However, if any of these systems have a malfunction, dizziness may set in with a loss of balance and coordination which can generate nausea and vomiting at times. Some causes of dizziness include: vertigo, labyrinthitis, vestibular neuritis, Meniere’s disease,and migraines. You may have experienced vertigo. This is a dizziness that has a spinning sensation. This is often accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The causes of dizziness in this case is an inner ear problem where the canals (labyrinth) or vestibular nerve has become inflamed. If the labyrinth sends signals that don’t match up with your eye, other ear, joints and muscles the brain gets confused. This generates a spinning sensation in your brain. It helps to lie down to ease the problem. If this persists, you need to seek medical attention.

Another form of dizziness is labyrinthitis. This is as the name suggests inflammation of the inner ear. Quite often this is due to a viral infection. You will experience vertigo with this, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, flu or cold symptoms. Symptoms of dizziness may last a few days to a week or so and then disappear. Vertigo can be so serious with this infection, you may have to stay in bed for a few days before you are able to stand and walk around.

Vestibular neuritis is similar to labyrinthitis however except in this case the vestibular nerve is inflamed rather than the inner ear itself. This is generally a viral infection as well and the symptoms are hard to tell apart.

Meniere’s disease combines vertigo with hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing in the ear). Fluid builds up in the labyrinth causing swelling from time to time. Duration of symptoms and severity vary each time. Permanent hearing loss and tinnitus may set in.

Migraines are also known to have vertigo as a symptom. This often occurs when the individual experiences auras. This can last from a few hours to a few days. This is due to changes in blood flow in the brain which also affect the function of the vestibular apparatus such that it sends inappropriate signals to the brain.

Causes of dizziness include viral infections and/or changes in blood circulation as this can affect sensory information coming into the brain. When the sensory information doesn’t match up from different sources this causes dizziness. General symptoms almost always include a spinning sensation, nausea and vomiting.